Sole-pressing machine.



E. N. PREBLE.

SOLE PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I9, 1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 191$).

E. N, PREBLE.

SOLE PRESSiNG MACHINE.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. N. PREBLE.

SOLE PRESSING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men DEC. x9. 1914.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

w w W W? E. N. PREB LE.

SOLE PRESSING MACHWE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. [9, m4.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

5 SHEETS-'SHEEI' 5.

SATES III EDWIN N. PREBLE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed December 19, 1914. Serial No. 878,172.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN N. PREBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sole-Pressing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to sole pressing machines for boots and shoes and more particularly to machines of this type for operating upon soles after they have been incorporated in boots or shoes.

It is customary in machines of this type to impart two rolling pressures to a shoe sole and stop the machine automatically with the shoe supporting member in a position of presentation. It is desirable in order to secure a uniform leveling operation upon different classes of soles to provide mechanism under the control of the operator for varying the amount of the leveling action which is: imparted to different shoe soles.

One object of the present invention is to provide a sole pressing machine of the rolling pressure type which is permanently under the control of the operator and may be readily adjusted at any time to vary the number of rolling pressures which are imparted to a shoe sole. To this end a feature of the invention consists in the combination in a machine of this type having a shoe supporting member, a cooperating sole pressing member, and mechanism for operating the members to subject the sole of a shoe to a plurality of rolling pressures, of a timing device connected with the mechanism, and means under the control of the operator for adjusting the timing device to vary the number of pressing operations to which a sole is subjected.

In machines of this type it is desirable to provide a suitable type of safety guard which shall prevent the operative getting caught between the moving forms of the machine. A further object of the invention is to provide a safety guard of an improved type which is positioned in front of the moving forms during the leveling operation and is automatically removed from this position at the completion of the operation.

With the above objects in view the several features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention; Figure 1 is a side elevation of a leveling machine embodying th several features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail showing a partial front elevation of the machine and illustrating the timing mechanism and connected parts; Fig. 3 is a detail showing a side elevation of the timing and clutch operating mechanisms; Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating a sectional elevation of the clutch locking and releasing mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail showing a plan view partly in section of the clutch locking mechanism; Fig. 6 is a detail showing a plan view of the safety guard, and Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating an elevation of the guard shown in Fig. 6.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown for convenience as applied to a machine of the type disclosed in the patent to Mayo, No. 861,746, dated July 30, 1907, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the features illustrated or to any particular construction and arrangement of parts, and the invention could readily be applied in sole pressing machines of th rolling pressure type.

In this machine the main frame comprises a pair of vertical columns 1, only one being shown, having connected webs 2 and 3 between them at the bottom and top, respectively. The shoe supporting form 4 is pivoted at 5 and the cooperating pressing form 6 is pivoted at 7. These members are oscillated to impart a rolling pressure to the sole and are connected by means of a lever 8 which operates them simultaneously. The oscillation of the last and form is imparted thereto from the main shaft 9 which is controlled by the driving clutch 10. The parts so far described are identical with those shown in the patent to Mayo above referred to.

The present type of leveling machine carries duplicate sets of lasts and forms which are independently operated and in consequence only one set will be shown and described.

Referring more particularly to the present invention, the clutch 10 is operated by means of a foot treadle 11 located in front of the machine in a position conveniently accessible to the operator. tends to operate the clutch by rocking the bell crank lever 12 (Fig. 1) which bodily shifts the belt pulley along the driving shaft 13. The bell crank 12 is connected to the treadle by means of an adjustable link 14 attached to the clutch operating lever 15 which carries a roll 16. The roll 16 rests upon a cam 17 connected to the end of the rod 18 which runs across the side of the frame for attachment with the foot treadle 11. The clutchoperating lever 15 normally has its front end elevated by the spring 19 connected between the frame and the lever, and this spring also tends to keep the roller 16 pressed against the cam 17. The tension of the spring 19 along with a spring 20 attached between the machine frame and bell crank lever 12 tends to release the clutch so that when the clutch lever is released the clutch is thrown out of operation. When the clutch is released simultaneously a brake shoe 21 connected with the lever 12 is applied to the brake disk 22 upon the driving shaft 13 so as to lock it from further rot.- tion. lVith this construction when the clutch is thrown out the shaft is locked from rotation and while the clutch is in operative position the shoe 21 is released from thebrake disk 22.

The clutch operating lever is connected with the timing mechanism so that when once the treadle has been depressed to start the machine operating the lever will be locked in operating position until the desired number of oscillations of the last and form have beenmade to level the solo when it will be released to throw out the clutch. The timing mechanism is mounted in a casing 23 held on a casting 24, Figs. land 3, which is supported upon the main shaft 9 and forms an extension of an arm 240 in which the lever 15 is pivoted at 25. The timing mechanism consists of a star wheel 26 having two sets of teeth mounted on a shaft 27. This star wheel directly controls the rotation of the main driving shaft 9 which oscillates the last and form and can be set so as to vary the number of rotations of said shaft by means of a controlling arm 28, Figs. 3 and 4, acting against the pin 29 fixed on the star wheel. The different positions of the star wheel are indicated upon a dial 30, Figs. 6 and 7, mounted upon a column 1 in a convenient position to be observed by the operator. The positioning arm 28 is operated to set the star wheel by means of a setting lever 31 which rotates over the dial about a fulcrum 32 in the dial A depression of the treadle arm. The setting lever has a spring pressed plunger 33 that registers with one of a series of openings 34 in the dial to lock the lever Where it may be set. The arm 28 is connected to the setting lever by means of a swiveled rod 35 that is attached to a lever .36,mounted on the fulcrum 32, to which the setting lever is attached by means of a pivoted yoke 37. By this mechanism when the arm 31=is adjusted over the scale the star wheel is rotated a proportional amount about the axis 27 and the setting shown in Fig. 7 will cause the form and last to make three complete oscillations and stop automatically in'a position of presentation.

When the star wheel has been set for a definite number of oscillations of the last and form and the clutch thrown in, the star Wheel is'rotated about its axis by means of a pawl 38, F ig. 3, attached to a lever 39 which is oscillated bymeansof a crank pin 40 secured to a disk 41 which is fixed on "the end of theshaft 9. When the pawl 38 advances the star wheel it i locked in its advanced position by means of a locking pawl 42, pressed against the star wheel by means of a spring 43 and pivoted at 44. The locking pawl is located in a slot 45 of the locking pawl lever 46, Fig. 2, which is also pivoted at 44 to the casing 23. The pawl 42 has a tail 47 which is held against an abutment 48 on the inner face of the lever 46 so that a movement of the lever in one direction willmove the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, but a yielding movement of the pawl is permitted independ-- ently of thelever. The-lever 4.6 is connected with-the pawl operating arm39 by means of a link 49, as shown clearly in Fig. 3. For each-revolution of the shaft 9 the pawl 38 moves the star wheel a distance-equal to one tooth, Where it is locked bypawl 42 and after a definite rotation, which is determined by the controlling arm 28 the star wheel is adapted to actuate mechanism to release the clutch lever and stop the machine. A releasing cam- 50 is pivotally mounted on the stud 27 and adjustably secured to the star wheel 24 by a set screw 51. The cam 50has an inclined face 52, Fig. 4, which is adapted to work under a corresponding inclined face 53 on a pivoted clutch releasing lever '54 extending within the timer casing and normally held in the path of the cam 50 by a spring 65 so'that when the star wheel is rotated by means of the pawl 38 the cam surface 52 will engage the cam surface 53 on the releasing lever and oscillate it about a fulcrum 55. By this rotation a locking block 56 on the lever 54 is moved from engagement with the clutch releasing lever 15 and the spring 19 draws the lever upward past the block and releases the clutch 10. In order to properly adjust the clutch mechanism with the lever locking mechanism the clutch locking block 56 is adjustable upon the lever 54. This block has a slot 57, Figs. 3, 4 and'5 for the reception of a pin 58 mounted in the lever 54. The lever 54 has a boss 59 formed thereon and in this boss is threaded a locking screw 60 which has a conical end 61 that engages a corresponding conical slot 62 in the pin 58 in order to tighten the pin against the block 56. To prevent vertical movement of the block it is further locked from movement by means of a bolt 63 which is threaded in the boss 59 and has its lower end bearing upon an inturned lug 64 on the end of the locking block 56 so that both the bolts 60 and 63 aid in retaining the block in position upon the lever 54. With this construction when the clutch lever 15 has been moved down to engage the clutch members the block 56 can be adjusted to engage with the lever 54 in order to hold this lever in the proper position. In order to enable the cycle of operations to be repeated the timing mechanism is automatically returned to its initial position at the completion of the cycle of operations. To this end the star wheel is automatically brought back to its initial position when the clutch controlling lever is released to stop the machine. To accomplish this the pawls 38 and 42 are connected to the controlling lever 15 by means of a U-shaped lever 66 pivoted on the lever 15 at 67. The U-shaped lever 66 carrie a roll 68 at its upper end which actuates a cam 69 held against the roll 68 by means of a spring 98, and formed on the lower end of the locking pawl lever 46. With this construction when the controlling lever 15 is drawn up by the spring 19 upon being released from the locking block 56, the roll 68 acting on the cam 69 will rock the lever 46 about the pivot 44 and disengage the pawls 38 and 42 from the star wheel teeth. lVhen the star wheel is released it is returned to its initial position by a torsion spring 70 connecting the star wheel with the casing 23. The spring 70 rotates the star wheel until the pin 29 contacts with the positioning arm 28 when it is set for the next operation.

With the mechanism thus described, after the timer has been set for a certain number of cycles of operations the machine will continue to operate until this predetermined number of cycles has been completed. It is advisable that the operative have absolute control of the driving mechanism so that it may be stopped and started at any time during the leveling operation. The clutch is released independently of the timing mechanism by a foot treadle 71 located at the front of the machine in a convenient position for the operative. This treadle is pivoted to the frame at 72 and connected to the U-shaped lever 66 by means of a link 73. The U-shaped lever 66 carries a cam finger 74 (Fig. 5) having an inclined face arranged in operative relation to the locking block 56 so that the block is moved from engagement with the clutch lever 15 when the lever 66 is swung about the aXis 67 to permit the elevation of the lever 15 by the spring 19. It will be noted from an obse vation of the drawings that when the treadle 71 is depressed the roll 68 is swung by the lever 66 out of engagement with the cam surface 69 so that when the upward movement of the clutch lever 15 and lever 66 takes place the lever 46 is not affected and the locking pawl continues to hold the star wheel in position. The foot treadle 71 is normally held in an elevated position 'by means of a spring 75 connecting the U- shaped lever 66 and the controlling lever 15, as shown in Fig. 3. This spring elevates the treadle to a position where. a stop 76 on the inner end thereof abuts against a seat 77 formed on the machine frame. hen the treadle 71 is elevated the finger 74 is out of the path of movement of the locking block 56, and does not interfere with the timer mechanism. Upon drawing the treadle 71 down to release the clutch, a spring pressed pawl 78, Fig. 2, pivoted at 79 to the treadle, engages a jaw 80 upon the treadle 11, so that it is held in lowered position until the machine is started by pressing the treadle 11 against the tension of the spring 81 and rotating the jaw 80 out of the path of the pawl 78. This allows the roll 68 on the U-shaped lever to again contact with the cam 69 so that upon the completion of the predetermined cycle of operations the roll 68 will be in position to release the sta r wheel to return it to its initial position.

The present invention also contemplates the provision of a safety guard located in front of the coijperating last and form during the operation of these members in order to prevent the operative from inserting a hand between the pressing surfaces and sustaining an injury. This safety guard is connected with the clutch controlling lever in such a manner that while the machine is in operation the guard is positioned in front of the operating parts and when the clutch is thrown out to stop the machine the guard will be withdrawn. The controlling lever 15 extends across the side of the machine and is turned at right angles at the front of the machine and connected at 82 to a rod 83 for operating the guard 84. The guard 84 is pivotally connected to a carrying lever 85 and drag link 86 which are mounted on a bracket 87 located on the column 1 adjacent the position of the last and form. The carrying lever 85 is connected with the rod 83 by means of a link 88 and bell crank lever 89 so that, as the controlling lever 15 is drawn up by the spring 19 to release the clutch the guard 84 is drawn from a position in front ofthe last and form to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and When the controlling lever is drawn down to throw in the clutch the guard is moved from the ,position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full linesin Fig. 6.

The operation of the machine above described is as follows.:Assuming that the machine is at rest with the last and form in a position of presentation a shoe is placed upon the last and the starting treadle depressed. This causes the operative engagement of the clutch 10 and an inward movement of the supporting form 4 and pressing form-6 to level the shoe. Previously to the starting of the machine the. controlling member 28 has been set to properly determine the number of rolling pressures to be imparted to the sole in accordance with the character of the leveling operation to be performed. The controlling arm determines the initial position of the star Wheel 26 and upon starting the machine, a step-by-step rotation is imparted to the star wheel which is moved a distance equal to one tooth for each rotation of the driving shaft 9. The'rotation of the star wheel is accomplished by the engagement of the operating pawl 38 with the cooperating ratchet teeth, and after each forward movement the star wheel is locked in position by the locking pawl 42 which engages with a cotiperating set of ratchet teeth formed upon the opposite side of the star wheel. This rotation of the star Wheel causes a like rotation of the releasing member 50 and when the inclined face 52 of the releasing member engages with the lever 54 the lever is rocked about the fulcrum 55 to disengage the clutch lever 15. Upon the release of the clutch lever 15 it is elevated by the spring 19 to disengage the driving clutch 10 and cause the application of the brake 21. Upon the releasing movement of the clutch lever the locking pawl 42 is also swung out of engagement with the star wheel 26 to permit the star wheel to be returned to its initial position under the action of the compression spring 70. The machine is conveniently stopped, if desired, at any time during a cycle of operations by the treadle 71 which, upon being depressed, rocks the lever 54-to release the clutch lever 15. This rocking movement of the lever 54 is accomplished by the cam finger 74 which is carried by the U-shaped lever 66 and is swung by the lever 66 into engagement with the locking block 56. This movement of the lever 66 breaks the operative connection between thelower end of the lever 46 and the clutch lever 15 so that the stopping of the machine does not operate at this time to unlock the star wheel 26, and upon a depression-of the starting treadle 11 the machine will again start and completethe unfinished cycle of operations. With th s construction itwill be noted that the operator can set the timing mechanism at any time to impart a predetermined number of cycles of operation tothe machineand this setting of the timing mechanism may be changed, if desired, during the operation of the machine. Furthermore the machine may be stopped immediately at any time during the leveling operation and will remain in an inoperative osition until the starting treadle is again depressed, after which the original cycle of operations will be. completed, or if the timing. mechanism has been readjusted a new cycle of operations will be completed. The operator is prevented from sustaining injury by a safety guard 84 which is positioned in front of the moving forms during the operationof the machine and is automatically .swung out of v the way into an inoperative position at the completion of the predetermined cycleof operations.

While it is preferred to employ the. specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified'inrthe claims, and may be changed or modified without departing from the broader fea tures of the invention.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is V 1. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting member, a coiiperating sole pressing member, mecha nism to operate the members andsubject the sole-of a shoe to a plurality ofrolling pressures-mechanism to automatically stop the members with the shoesupporting members in a position of presentat1on,a timing device connected withsaidmechanism, and means under the control of'the operator foradjusting the timing device to vary the number of pressing operations to which a sole is subjected.

2. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a cooperating sole pressing form, actuating mechanism for relatively moving the last and form to and from a position of presentation, a timing device connected with the actuating mechanism, means to set the timing mechanism in different positions to vary the predetermined number of pressures of said last and form, and means connected to said timing mechanism to stop the last and form in the position of presentation after the pressures have been completed.

8. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form cotiperating with said last to subject the sole of a shoe supported upon the last to a series of pressures, means for operating the last and form, a timing device connected to the operating means for controlling the number of pressures of the last and form, and means under the control of the operator to vary the setting of the timing device while the last and form are in operation.

4. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form cooperating with the last to subject the sole of a shoe supported upon the last to a series of pressures, means for actuating the last and form, a controlling device connected with said actuating means to determine the number of pressures to be imparted to the sole, means under the control of the operator for varying the setting of the controlling device to vary the number of pressures, and means for stopping the actuating means during the pressing operation.

5. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form, driving means for actuating the last and form, controlling means to start and stop the driving means, and a shield connected with the controlling means and arranged to be positioned in front of the last and form by the movement of the controlling means to start the last and form and to be positioned at one side of the last and form by the movement of the controlling means to stop the last and form.

6. A sole pressing machine having, in combination, a shoe supporting last, a co operating sole pressing form, means for relatively actuating the last and form to impart a plurality of pressures to the sole, mechanism for automatically stopping the last and form when a predetermined number of pressures have been imparted to the sole, a timing device connected with said mechanism, and means under the control of the operator permitting adjustment of the timing device during the operation of the machine to vary the number of pressures to which the sole is subjected.

7 A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form, a clutch, a controlling lever for the clutch, a shield connected with the controlling lever to be thrown into and out of a protective position in front of the last and form when the controlling lever is actuated to start and stop the last and form, and means to lock the shield in position in front of the last and form.

8. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form cooperating with the last, means for actuating the last and form, timing means for the actuating means, mechanism operated independently of the work to set the timing means to determine the number of pressures to be imparted to the sole, means to stop the actuating means at the completion of the pressing operation, and mechanism for returning the timing means to any one of the positions in which it may be set.

9. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form cooperating with the last, a timer, means to set the timer to determine the number of pressures to be imparted to a sole, actuating means for the form and last controlled by the timer, mechanism to stop the actuating means during the pressing operation without disturbing the setting of the timer, and means to reconnect the actuating means to the timer to complete the pressing operation.

10. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a 00- operating sole pressing form, actuating means for the last and form, a timer for controlling the actuating means, mechanism for varying the setting of the timer to determine the number of pressures to be imparted to a shoe in the pressing operation, a controlling lever for the actuating means, and means to release the controlling lever to stop the actuating means before and after the completion of the pressing operation.

11. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a cooperating sole pressing form, driving means for the last and form, a lever for controlling the driving means, a star wheel, a manually controlled setting means to set the star wheel for a desired number of pressures to be imparted to the sole, a dial to indicate the position of the star wheel, and means for actuating the star wheel to release the clutch lever at the completion of the sole pressing operation.

12. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a sole pressing form, driving means for the last and form, a clutch lever for controlling the driving means, a star wheel adapted to be set to vary the number of pressures to be given to a sole, a block to lock the clutch lever in driving position, means for actuating the star wheel to release the locking block at the completion of the pressing operation, and means supported by the clutch lever for resetting the star wheel for a sub sequent operation.

13. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a (:0- operating sole pressing form, driving means for the last and form, a clutch lever, a guard, a lever supporting the guard adjacent the last and form, a drag link pivotally connected with the guard to control the position thereof, and connecting means between the guard supporting lever and clutch lever.

14. A sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting last, a cooperative sole pressing'form, driving means for the last andform, a clutch controlling lever, a timer mechanism for determining the number of pressures to be imparted to a sole,-a'block for locking the clutch lever in operative position, a cam finger connected With-the clutch lever for moving-the locking block to an unlocking position, a treadle connected with the cam finger, and means to'lock' the treadle in a position to hold the block in an unlockingyposition.

15.- A sole pressing machine, havingin combination a shoe supporting member and a cooperating; sole pressing member, mechanism for actuatingthe members to'lmpart a predetermined number of; pressures to a shoe sole, mechanism' under the control of the operator for starting the actuating mechanism, means for locking, said mechanisminoperative position, and auxiliary mechanism under the control of the operat'or for unlocking said meansto stop the actuating mechanism and for retaining the locking means in an unlocking: position until the starting? mechanism is again operated.

16QA sole pressing machine, having in combination, a shoe supporting member, a cooperating sole pressing member, mechanism-forrelatively actuating the members; a starting treadle, connections between the starting treadle and actuating'mechanism, a stopping: treadle, and mechanism for looking thestopping treadle in-an operative' position until the starting treadle'is depressed to Y actuate the machine.

17. A sole pressing machine, having in combination,v a shoesupporting member, a cooperating: sole pressing member, meehanism for relatively: actuatingv the members,-. means for controlling: the actuating mechanism to *impart a predetermined numberof rolling pressures to a shoe sole', and means permanently embodied in the machine 1 under the control of the operator for varying the number of rolling pressures imparted=to*the=sole;- 1

ED IN N; PRE'BLE: Witnesses:

ERNEST WHITEHEAD, CHESTER E". ROGERS.

Gopiel'ot thispatentmay beobtainedfor five-cents each,.-by addressing tiie cominissioher otieitfitl;

Washington; 50:0." 

